Blogs & Ecology

Photo via Charmone Shoes

Image source: WashingtonPost.com

After reports last year of "raccoon dog" fur being used and labeled as faux fur, the Humane Society came out with a few quick tests you can use to test whether any animals were hurt in production. First, look at the base of the fur - fake fur will have a threaded backing while real fur will just have dyed skin. Second, animal fur tapers into a point - like a cat's whisker or a sewing needle. This one is harder to tell.

The Greatest Outdoor Gear

TreeHuggers, being a discerning lot, when recently polled came down in a clear majority against the concept of "eco-fur" when we wrote first about a chinchilla/polyester jacket from designer Chie Imai, and then about an expensive line of pillows and throws made from the skins of invasive possums wreaking havoc in New Zealand.

Green suede, no shoes

BBC Thread: Cottoning On by Joanna Yarrow
"Fibres like cotton can be far from natural by the time they reach the shops. Joanna Yarrow exposes how the production process can be crippling to both people and their environment"

Ecorazzi: French Vogue Peta Controversy by mlariviere

In her post yesterday, April wrote "fur is one of those slightly grey areas that is increasingly trying to get green cred." A Japanese designer mixes it with recycled polyester and calls it "eco-fur." The Canadian Fur Council devotes a website to the concept that "Fur is Green."
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